


Crazy Cat

by marvelfan



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Friendship, M/M, crazy cat, early wake up calls, no powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 20:55:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5430545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelfan/pseuds/marvelfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky has a crazy cat that has a tendency of waking his neighbors up at five a.m. every morning. One of those neighbors happens to be Steve Rogers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crazy Cat

**Author's Note:**

> I've read fics where Bucky has had a cat, and I've read ones where Natasha has had a crazy cat. I figured I'd write something where Bucky owns a cat that is crazy as hell.
> 
> Un-beta'd, so any mistakes are mine.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. I will write a second chapter (maybe about their coffee date) if anyone asks for it. Just figured I'd throw it out there and see if you all like it. Enjoy!

Bucky knows that his cat is crazy, he just doesn't care. Grumpster, the cat, has a habit of running around his apartment and banging in to everything at five in the morning. His neighbors to his left and right have both complained to the landlord about it, but nothing has been done. Bucky didn't think anything would be done since his friend Clint is the landlord and owns the building. Bucky doesn't care that his cat runs around, because Grumpsters has helped him in his recovery since returning from the war. Grumpsters loves to cuddle with him after Bucky wakes from nightmares and cannot fall back to sleep. His cat knows exactly when to show affection and when he can get away from being around his human owner. Bucky also knows that his cat is a big duche who wakes his neighbors up early in the morning. Bucky has met his neighbors that live next to him, but he has not met the one that lives below him, who probably wants nothing more than to kill his cat. ' _Oh well, tough luck_ ' he thinks. His neighbors can learn to deal with his cat - it's better than him pacing the floors and punching the walls when he gets in a certain mood.

Steve Rogers is a veteran and now works as a combat instructor (part-time) for a government/military university and a personal trainer (part-time). He also happens to be the unfortunate person to live below one Bucky Barnes and his deranged cat. Steve hates that cat. It always wakes him up two hours earlier than he needs to be awake. However, Steve is polite and has never said anything about the cat to its owner (whom he's never even met before) or the landlord. He doesn't mention anything to the landlord, but he always complains to Peggy, Natasha (who happens to be dating the landlord), and Sam. Steve figures if he could live with sound of explosions and gunfire during the war, he can live with the sound of an annoying cat in the morning. Both he and Bucky go about their daily lives without every meeting.

Two days pass and it is now Friday night. Steve has had a particularly rough day - one of the cadets accidentally broke his arm in a training exercise, and he had to deal with meatheads at the gym he works for. All Steve wants to do is go home, take a hot shower, and watch shark documentaries all night. He is able to do that, along with his best friend Peggy, who decided she wanted to spend some time with her friend. As she calls it, this is "defusing the situation", which means she brings a bottle of wine and cheesecake over, and they watch the documentaries together all night. After the bottle is finished, Steve looks down to see a sleeping Peggy curled up to his side. He gently carries her to his bed and tucks her in for the night, then he goes to the couch where he's destined to sleep tonight. All is silent, and all is well.

The next thing he knows, Steve is being shaken by Peggy who is telling him to wake up. "What, what's wrong? What happened?" he asks in his sleeped-out state.

"What is the god awful racket?"

Groaning, Steve replies "the cat from hell. That's it. I'm going to talk to this person. I don't care if it's some seventy year old woman who has ten cats. This has got to stop". He gets up from the couch, throwing a shirt on and slips his feet into his pair of slippers.

"That's the cat" Peggy asks in amazement. "You weren't lying when you said it runs around every day at five a.m.".

"Why can't it run around later" he grunts out before he heads out the door to face down the owner of this evil animal. He can feel his nostrils flare as he walks up the steps and through the hallway of the floor above his. When he reaches the apartment directly above him, he takes a deep breath in and slowly releases - he wants to be calm during this. He composed himself, and then knocks on the door three times. Steve is mentally preparing what he is going to say, but that all goes out the window when the dark haired man opens the door looking annoyed and just as sleepy as Steve.

"What do you want?" he asks, still not making eye contact with Steve.

Thankfully Steve only stutters for a second before he finds his landing. "I wanted to talk to you about your cat. I live directly below you, and was wondering if you can please do something about it running around so early in the morning".

Bucky finally ceased to rub his eyes and look at Steve. As soon as they make eye contact, Bucky freezes. He didn't know his neighbor below him was so hot, or tall, or muscular, or perfect. Shaking his head, he clears those thoughts away and focuses on the problem at hand. "Um, I can try, but I can't promise anything. He has a routine and that's hard to break. Sorry he woke you up".

"He wakes me up every morning" he replies, a bit of annoyances lacing his words. "I'd appreciate it if you tried".

"Sure" Bucky clipped, becoming annoyed with Steve for making a fuss over his cat.

"Thanks. Have a good night - I mean morning. Have a good morning". Steve turns to walk away, not completely satisfied with the conversation, but not unhappy about it either. Before he can get too far, the cat owner is asking what his name is. Turning around, he answers "Steve. My name is Steve". With that, the blonde walks away, returning to his apartment and Peggy to go back to bed on this Saturday morning.

*

Clint turns around to see Bucky walking towards him with that annoyed look on his face. ' _Great. Wonder which neighbor complained this time_ 'he thinks. "Who was it this time, Barnes?"

"Guy below me. His name is Steve something. I dunno, didn't catch the last name".

Clint's eyes widened at the name. "Steve? You sure it was Steve?"

"Uh yes. Big guy. Taller than me. Blonde hair with perfect shoulders, and legs that go on for miles. That Steve".

"Shit" the landlord breathes out.

"What? What's wrong?" Bucky doesn't understand why this would make Clint upset. Has Steve complained to him before? Did Steve have something over on Clint?

"Steve is best friends with Natasha. He also happens to be one of the nicest guys on the planet. He must've been pissed to actually come up to your place and complain".

"Tall, blonde, and gorgeous is nice? Coulda fooled me. He was a dick this morning".

"I'm sure he had every right. Listen, Barnes, try to be nice to him. He's a good guy who has been through a lot in life, alright? Maybe even get to know him. Who knows, you might have more in common with him than you think".

"Whaddya mean by that, Barton?"

"Nothing. Just saying, you never know. Listen, as much as I love our talks about your neighbors hating your demonic cat, I gotta run and meet Nat. Talk to you later big guy".

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. See ya, Barton". Bucky returned to his room, plumping down on his bed, looking at Grumpsters. "Well fuck".

*

It has been a week since Steve has been up to see Bucky about his cat. The evil cat still runs around, but he at least missed one day. Steve doesn't know what happened Tuesday morning to make the cat not run, but by the grace of heavens, it was silent. This morning, however, is not so silent. Deciding to go up to face the owner once again, Steve rallies his motivation and make his way up to apartment 4D.

Bucky answers the door after the third knock, already knowing it's about Grumpsters. He's speaking before he even opens the door. "Listen Patty, your freak of a cat makes just as much -". The rest of his sentence is cut short after he opens the door, seeing one very tired looking Steve. "Um, hi".

"Hi".

"Is this about Grumpsters?"

"Grumpsters?"

"Yes, Grumpsters, my cat".

"Oh, uh, yeah… it is… You named your cat Grumpsters?"

"I must have been psychic the day I got him cause he makes everyone grumpy. Sorry 'bout the noise, but there's nothin' I can do. If he runs, he runs".

"Do whatever you did on Tuesday. He was quiet then. No running". Steve gave him a pleading look, hoping the man who lives about him would quiet his cat.

"No can do. I try not to do what happened on Tuesday. Now if you excuse me, I have shit to do". Bucky slams the door in a shocked Steve's face. He slumps to the ground against it once the door is closed, listening to the other man walk away. He doesn't want what happened on Tuesday to happen again. He had nightmares Tuesday, and Grumpsters comforted him. He hates having nightmares; they remind him of his time in the war and how he lost his arm. Thankfully Stark Industries gave him a realistic looking arm, so most people don't notice, but it still sucks. Tough shit for his neighbors. They'll just have to do with a noisy cat.

*

Three weeks and multiple conversations to his friends and Clint, Steve is yet again woken by that damn cat knocking something over up above him. "Fuck you, Grumpsters" he breathes out, annoyed that he is up early once again. At least this time it's during the week and he has to be up in two hours anyways, but still, it sucks. Steve has his routine down when this happens - wake up, brush his teeth, put a shirt on (he sleeps in basketball shorts or boxers, depending on the night), put his slippers on, and then goes up one floor to confront the man now known as Bucky (thanks to Nat telling him his name). After Bucky gives some lame excuse and shuts the door in his face, Steve goes back down to his apartment to dwell for ten minutes, then gets on with his day.

The universe has other plans for him today. This time, when he goes up and knocks on the door, he is greeted by the unholy sight of Bucky looking disheveled, as if he got the worst night's sleep imaginable. The brunet just rolls his eyes and invites Steve in. This is new. Bucky has never invited Steve in before.

"Sit" he commands". Steve does as he's told and sits at the table near the kitchen, watching as Bucky finishes cooking his breakfast. What Steve didn't expect (not that he expected any of this) was Bucky bringing him a plate of food as well. "Eat". Mrs. Rogers raised her son to be nice and polite, so Steve slowly began eating the food placed in front of him. He didn't want to come off as rude.

"Are you okay, Bucky? You don't look so well. I can call Clint if you need me to".

"No, don't call Clint. 'M fine. Didn't sleep well is all… Nightmares…"

"Oh… I'm sorry". Steve, for the first time ever, actually looks at Bucky. His eyes cataloging every inch of him from top to bottom, which is when he notices the fake arm. Revelation finally clicks in his mind - the war. "I get them too... I was in the 107th for the army. Been out for a few years now".

"The 107th? What years?"

"2006-2012. Why" the blonde asked.

"I was moved to the 107th in 2012. Must have just missed each other. I was in a different unit from 2005 up until 2012. Got out last year. Got Grumpsters soon after. He helps me during the nightmares".

"I get that" Steve said, nodding his head thinking about how much they have in common. "You can tell me to fuck off if this is over stepping, but is your arm the reason you got out?" Steve didn't sound accusing or full of pity, just genuinely curious.

"Yeah. Roadside accident involving an IED. Blew the arm straight off. You?"

"Plane crash. Was in a coma for a month. Medically discharged after that".

"Shit… Clint was right. We do have a lot in common".

"Clint? As in the landlord Clint? Deaf, ex-military Clint?"

"Yup, that's the one. Him and I served together a few times. He said you and I would have stuff in common. Son of a bitch was right".

"He's sneaky like that. Think he learned a few things from his black ops leader. No one is sneakier than that man". Steve shrugged off the thought of one Nick Fury. At least the third in command was nicer. Coulson is a nice guy. Steve likes when he drops by and says hello. Maria stops in every once in a great while too, just to check up on Clint and Nat (who was part of the black ops unit).

"That he is… Are you, um… Are you busy today" Bucky shyly asks, nervous for his answer.

"Unfortunately. I have to get to work soon. What time is it anyways?" Steve turns around to look at the clock in the kitchen. "Fuck! Sorry, I didn't realize how late it was. I gotta go. I'm so sorry. It was nice to finally get to know you, Bucky. If you ever want to talk, just let me know".

"Nice getting to know you as well, Steve. Uh" he looks around before spotting a pen and sticky note. "Here's my number. Not that you don't know where I live or anything. If you're free this week or something, text or call".

"Definitely". Steve took the sticky note, sticking it in his pocket. He grabbed the pen from Bucky and wrote his number down on a note, handing it to Bucky once he finished. "That way you know whose texting you. You can text me any time by the way. I gotta go. See ya, Bucky".

"Bye, Steve". Bucky watched as the newly acquainted man left his apartment. Thankfully Bucky had nothing to do all day, so he lounged around, snuggling up with Grumpsters in bed. Around six o'clock that evening, Bucky's phone goes off with a notification. He checks to see who text him, and is pleasantly surprised to see a text from Steve.

_How does Thursday afternoon sound for a coffee date? I know a great place two blocks away from our building that sells the best coffee._

Smiling, Bucky replies. _Thursday sounds great. See ya then, Steve_.

_J_ _J_ _J_ _See ya then, Buck!_

Bucky smiles for the rest of the night. He's happy that he made a new friend, especially one that understands what war was like. Grumpsters cozies up next to him, falling asleep that night only to run around the next the morning, waking his neighbors. It just gives him one more thing to talk to Steve about on Thursday for their coffee date. Bucky is glad that his cat is crazy - it led him to a new friend.


End file.
